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JIM BRADLEY: Current Trojans carry on after Bradley's death

Mark Rudi, LasCruces
Published 4:20 p.m. MT Aug. 13, 2015

Sun-News file photo by Vladimir Chaloupka
Mayfield football coach Jim Bradley won 310 games and seven state championships, including five at Mayfield High. Bradley, a New Mexico Hall of Fame coach, passed away on Wednesday.(Photo: )

LAS CRUCES >> Mayfield offensive coordinator Greg Henington has fond memories of Jim Bradley and what he brought to the Trojan football program. Henington's dad and Bradley were close friends and his dad coached with Bradley at New Mexico State.

Henington also played quarterback and running back for Bradley at Mayfield from 1994-96 and was on two of Bradley's state championship teams.

Bradley, a legend in New Mexico high school football, who won seven state championships and 310 games, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 82.

"We used to go on fishing trips together, my dad, myself and Coach Bradley," Henington said. "I was about 12 years old and first learning of Coach Bradley's championship attitude. Just by sitting and talking with him. So, I got to learn those things early."

Henington and Trojans defensive coordinator Alfred Rue are tasked with preparing the Trojans for the 2015 season opener in two weeks. Henington said Mayfield's practice schedule will not change as the Trojans prepare for a scrimmage at El Paso Coronado on Aug. 21 and the season-opener at Hobbs on Aug. 28. It's not known how long Trojans head coach Michael Bradley will be away from the team, but he's expected to be on the sidelines for the season-opener.

"Coach Michael Bradley wants us to do what Coach Jim Bradley would want us to do and to stay focused on the task at hand," Henington said. "And that's to go after that state championship.

"Jim Bradley only missed one practice his entire life. He had a stomach (illness) a while back. Coach Bradley was always at practice and Michael is trying to instill the same philosophy of course, but putting family first, but still honoring your commitments."

Bradley's 310 wins ranks second all time in New Mexico, only behind Clovis coach Eric Roanhaus with 322 wins. Bradley won five state titles at Mayfield (1971, 1995, 1996, 1998 and 2005) and two at Roswell (1987 and 1988).

Henington wishes the current Trojans could go through one film session with Jim Bradley. Bradley retired in 2005, but stayed on as an assistant coach on Michael's staff through the 2011 season.

"Not only did we learn a great deal of football, but just his leadership and the way he conducted film," Henington said. "It was always a great opportunity to get better. Not only that, but he was an entertainer in a sense. It was so fun just to listen to the comments he would make, the things he would say. Going to film with Coach Bradley, you know you were going to get your butt chewed because he wanted you to be successful, but it was going to be a blast because just being around him was always so much fun. That's what I wish our kids could have experienced. Just one film session with him and they would really, truly know what it was like to be around Coach Bradley."

When Bradley returned to Mayfield in 1994, Henington, who lived in Hobbs at the time, remembers his dad coming into his room and saying "pack up, we're moving to Mayfield so you can be a state champion."

"With that comment right there, it kind of tells you what our expectations were that he had already laid down throughout the state," Henington said. "I can remember clearly our first day of workouts, like they say about changing the culture, we had 120 kids in the weight room and Coach Bradley came in his very first day and there was a certain mystique when he entered the room that entered with him. From that moment, you know you were going to be successful if you stuck to his plan."

Mayfield defensive coordinator Alfred Rue has coached at Mayfield since 1999 and worked under Jim Bradley. Rue said Jim Bradley's plan created a different attitude, which included how his players worked in the weight room and how he motivated his players.

"A lot of coaches always have that motivational part about them," Rue said. "But just the way Coach Jim Bradley did it was getting in the kids' minds, getting them to believe in themselves and believe in the program. That ties into a slogan he always used to talk about 'What the mind believes, the body can and will achieve.' And it was something that he talked about it all time."